My Mets Story by Gina Brinskelle

I don’t get to say that very often! Yes, technically I was alive in 1986 but I don’t remember. However, I do remember 2000 and it still stings.

During this current World Series, the Fox broadcasters have made many outrageous comments but one specific comment has stuck with me. Harold Reynolds said something along the lines of “when you meet a Mets fan, you meet a die hard.” For me, that especially rings true.

I was born into this. My family are all huge Mets fans. But for me, it’s much more. To quote Jimmy Fallon in the great movie Fever Pitch, “I got lost in the game. The ballpark, the people, the colors, the sounds, the smells.” I love the New York Mets, but I love the game of baseball even more. If you ask my mother what my favorite thing to do is, her answer would be “a good old fashioned game of catch.”

Ask any Mets supporter about the “life of a Mets fan” and you will hear great answers such as “Mike Piazza’s 9/11 home run”, “Robin Ventura’s grand slam single” and “Johan’s no hitter and Todd Pratt’s 10th inning miracle in the 1999 NLDS.” However, you may also hear about the lows such as “the trading of Scott Kazmir”, “Luis Castillo and that pop up” or “the burn of Carlos Beltran and that third strike looking.”

The Mets have impacted my life because they are a big part of my past, present and future. The past brings memories of going to games with my dad and spelling out Mets on our t-shirts. Friday night games at Shea with my friends once we were allowed to go on without parental supervision.

Then there is present day…the feeling of ultimate excitement of this special season. Sharing it all with friends, family and especially our children. The group text saying “game time, let’s go boys!”

The future of this team and its young rotation feels extremely exciting. I can just picture the future joys of introducing my children to CitiField, teaching them how to keep score, how to do the wave and how to stretch in the 7th. I cannot wait for the day my son or my daughter says to me, “can we go play catch.” I especially cannot wait to show them the love I have for this team. The future is awesome.

When reflecting on this past year, all I can say is that this season has been amazing. We were not expected to be here yet here we are. Being a Mets fan in NY can be a hard thing. We catch some slack. We always feel like the underdog. Always feel like we have something to prove. Always waiting for the other shoe to drop.

This is our chance to change that. We have our Mets gear on, we post our funny pics saying Let’s Go Mets. We give the head nod to the person passing wearing a Harvey t-shirt. We watch every game on the edge of our seat because we know nothing is final until we hear the words “put it in the books.”

But most important, we believe. We come back year after year because we believe in this team. We feel as if we are part of them. We are living that childhood dream too. That’s what being a Mets fan is all about. Heart and passion. Orange and blue.

I don’t know what will happen at the end of this series. I always pray for the best and expect the worst. What I do know is that I am proud of where we are and excited for where we are going. Like the saying goes, “win lose or tie, I’m a Mets fan till the day I die.”

Gina Brinskelle is a die-hard Mets fan. Feedback can be sent to the Editor-in-Chief at bryan@nysportscene.com.